Reflex camera.



No. 793,534. C. A. MULLER.

REFLEX CAMERA.

APPLIGATION FILED 00125. 1904,

PATENTED JUNE 27, 1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

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ATTORNEYS o 93 c. A. MULLER.

EEELEX CAMERA.

APPLIOATION FILED 00T. Z5, 1904.

PATBNTBD JUNE 2'7, 1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2..

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Patented .Tune 27', 1905.

UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

i CHARLES A. MULLER', OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

REFLEX CAMERA.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 793,534, dated June 27, 1905.

Application filedy October 25, 19047 rSerial No. 229,899.

To @ZZ 1117710111, it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES A. MULLER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of `the city of New York, borough of Manhattan,

in the county and State of New York, haveinvented a new and Improved Refiex Camera, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The purpose of the invention is to provide a very simple and compact form of camerabox containing a reflex focusing attachmentl `tecting the lens and enabling the front portion of the camera to be without projections.

Another purpose of the invention is to so construct the camera-boxthat it will be placed at an acute angle to its support in focusingand in taking a picture, the plate being at such time at right angles to the focal plane of the lens and enabling the focusing by means of a re'iex attachment to be more conveniently and perfectly accomplished than when the box is laid fiat on asupport or is heldhorizontally in the hand.

A further purpose of the invention is to provide a bellows top and bottom for the body portion of the box and means for holding the said parts open and closed, the top being' provided with a ground glass and hood or witha sight-opening and reflector employed in connection with reflectors in the body of the box and the back being adapted to carry a support for a plate-holder and a focal-plane shutter, if desired.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of the several parts, as will be' hereinafter fullyset forth, and pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

side members 10, connected by what may be termed an upper end member or board 11; but the forward ends of the side boards or members 10 are inclined from the top' and from the bottom forwardly to a line drawn longitudinally and centrally through the said side boards or members, as is particularly shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, so that each side board at its forward end is provided with two inclined edges c and c, and a bottom board 12 extends from ore inclined edge to the other. When the camera-box is in use, it is made to rest on the said bottom board 12, so that the box-body as a whole is given an acute angle to the article upon which it rests, and when the camera is held by hand for' the purpose of focusing or of taking a picture the same position of the camera-box is observed. A front board 13 is carried from one inclined edge rt to the other at the forward end of the side members of the said camera-box, and when the said camera-box is in position for use the said front board 13 occupies a vertical position.

Three compartments are constructed on the bottom board 12 immediately at the rear of the front board 13, which compartments are best shown in Figs. 1 and 3, and consist of a central compartment 111 and two end compartments 15 and 16, formed by transverse partitions 17 and 18, extending from the front board 13, at the front of the camera-box, and a rear partition-board 19. The end compartment 15 is closed except at its front, where an opening 2() is made in the front boardl, and this opening is normally closed by means of a lens-board 21, hinged to the partition 18 separating the end compartment 15 from the IOO intermediate compartment 14. The opposing end compartment 16 is entirely closed, although the top, f'or example, may be made removable, or any of the other members thereof may be made removable, for purposes to be hereinafter described. A lens-board 22 of' any desired type is secured to the lensboard 21, and when the camera-box is in use the lens-board 21 is carried to the front ot' the central or intermediate compartment 14 and is made to cover an openingl 23 made in the front board 13, as is shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, so that the lens is brought in position for focusing or for taking a picture. W'hen the lens is not required, theboard is carried over to the compartment 15, and the lens will then be within such compartment and will be out ot' the way, leaving the front ofl the camerabox unobstructed by projections. Theintermediate compartment 14 is provided with an opening 24 in its rear immediately opposite the front or lens opening 23, and the said compartment 14is likewise provided with an opening 26 in the top.

Vithin the compartment 14, at the frontof the camera-box and to the rear ol the lens when in position relative to the said compartment 14, a mirror or reflector 25 is located, which mirror or reflector in use is given a downward and `forward inclination, (shown in Figs. 1 and 2,) and the said reflector or mirror 25 is hinged to the upper rear portion of the said compartment 14. When a picture is to be taken, the reflector or mirror 25 is carried upward and is lnade to close the opening 26 in the said intermerfliate compartment 14.

1n order that the front of the camera shall be protected, a drop-bar 27 is provided at that point hinged to the bottom board 12, as is shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 4, and this drop or cover board 27 is provided with suitable latches 27, adapted for engagement with keepers on the camera-box proper, whereby to hold the said drop or cover board in working position. W'hen the camera is in use, the said cover-board 27 extends downward from the bottom of the box, leaving the front of' the box uncovered.

1n Figs. 2 and 3 I haveillustrated acurtainshutter C applied to the camera-box, and the curtain of this slmtter is attached at one end to a drum 28, mounted to turn in the end compartment 16, and at its other end the curtain is attached to a spring-controlled drum 29, which is mounted to turn in a housing' 30, erected in the end compartment 15, the curtain being' made to pass out from the compartments through openings 31 and 32 at the rear thereof. A ratchet-wheel 23 is shown secured to the drum 23, and the teeth of' this ratchet-wheel are engaged by the head ot' a pawl 34, pivoted in the compartment 16 and held to place by a spring The pawl 34 is disconnected Vfrom the ratchet-wheel when an exposure is to be made, permitting the springcontrolled drum 29 to act, and such release is brought about just after the reflector or mirror 25 has assumed an upper closing position in the top of the central compartment 14. This action may be brought about by the construction shown in Fig. 3, wherein a crankshaf't 36 is mounted to turn within the camerabox at the front, extending through the com partmcnt 16 and the intermediate compartment 14 and out beyond a side face of the camera-box, where a handle 37 is formed. I he crank-section 38 of' the shaft 36 is located within the intermediate compartment 14 and is attached to the rear face of' the mirror or reflector 25. l/Vhen the mirror or reflector 25 is in the working position, (shown in Fig. 1,) it rests upon stops 35), which extend from the sides of the intermediate compartment 14, and when the f'ocus has been obtained by turning the handle 3T in one direction the mirror 25 will be carried upward and will close the opening 26 of. the said compartment 14, and a keeper 40, which is attached to the shaft 36 in the compartment16, will exert such action on the pawl 34, as soon as the mirror is seated, as to draw the said pawl away from the ratchet 33 and permit the shutter to work.

A partition 41 is located in the box-body A of the camera, extending from side to side and Vfrom the upper rear portion of' the compartments at the front of the camera-box to the upper end board 11, and this partition 4l practically divides the camera-box into an up per and a lower compartment, and said partition is parallel with the upper and the lower edges of the camera-box. A second mirror 42 is located in the upper compartment lormed by the partition 41 and is supported by said partition in an inclined position,thc inclination of the mirror 42 being upward and forward, one end of' themirror being near the central portion of the said partition 41 and the other near the upper end portion of' said partition. An upper cover-board 1,) is hinged to the upper edge of the upper portion ofl the camerzv box A, being adapted to close the otherwise open portion ot' the upper compartment in the said box, and at'the side and Jorward edges of' the said cover-board l) one edge of a heb lows-hood 43 is secured in any suitable or ap proved manner, the other edge being attached to the front upper portion ofI the camera-box and the upper side edges ot' the same. Thus the upper compartment in the camera-box may be made large or small, as occasion may demand, and when it is desired to focus the 1 vided with latches 45, adapted to engage with keepers 46, carried by the camera-box proper,

which keeper is operated by the usual buttons l 47 at the exterior of the said cainera-box.

A spring 48 normally carries the Lipper cover-board D to its upper or open position as soon as the keepers are released from the latches 45. T his spring is attached to the Acamera-box at its upper compartment and has bearing vagainst the under face of the upper cover-board D, as is shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The upper cover-board D is limited in its upward movement by a link 49, which is pivoted at one end to the under face of the upper cover-board D, being slotted at its opposite end to receive a pin 50, secured to the inner side face of the said camera-box. Thus the upper cover-board D and its bellows attachment may be quickly carried to working position or compactly folded down uponV the body ofthe camera, the limiting-link 49 at that time folding snugly within the camera box-body, as is shownby dotted lines in Fig. 2.

A sight-opening D is produced in the upper cover-board D where it is hinged to the upper portion of the body of the camera-box, as is shown in Figs. l and 2. In focusing the image is reliected upside down on the reflector and is then reflected. in the upper.

reflecting focusing-surface r44, appearing on this latter surface in proper position, and the' image on the upper reflecting focusing-surface 44 appears in proper position on the mirror 42 in .the upper compartment of the camera andY is there viewed by the operator through the siglit-opening D'..

By giving the box the inclination described.

and shown ielative to a support it is possible to obtain the simplearrangement of mirrors or ie'liectors just described and enables the box to be made very light and Very compact and to possess all the qualifications of an expensive reflex camera at comparatively little cost.

A rear or back board Eis hinged to the upper rear edge of thecamera box-body, and this rear or back board E is connected. with the box-body, where it is not hinged, through the medium of a bellows-hood 51, corresponding to the bellows-hood 43, above described. Where the rear orback board E is hinged to the cameia box-bodya preferably quadrantal plate 52 is secured, having slots 53 produced in its segmental edge, and these slots are adapted to receive a spring-latch 54, having.

sliding movement in a slot 55, produced in a side of the camera-box, and by means of the plate 52 and the latch 54 the rear board E is Y held in open or in closed position.. When thev camera is in use, the rear board E is unlatehed and will immediately. drop to the perpendicular position, (shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 4,) and this rear board E is provided with an open-` ing e therein, at which the plate-holder Fi appears. The rear orback board Eis also provided with a clamp E for. the plate-holder of the usual or of any approved construction.

It will be observed that. by reasonA of. the

bellows connection between the upper and the rear boards and the box-body. of the camera the camera may befolded so as to occupy but little space.

of the body proper.

The camera shown in Fig. 4 is of the same construction as has been described, except that the camera is adapted to be used in connection with a focal-plane shutter F, and to thus accommodate the shutter the rear board E is made longer, having an extension E3, and at the end of this extension a preferably triangular compartment 56 is constructed. In this compartment a drum 57 is mounted to turn, one end of the curtain of the shutter being secured to this drum, and the said curtain passes in the ordinary way across the opening e in the rear board E where the plate appears. Above the said opening e the curtain vis attached to a spring-controlled drum 58,

y a side of the body of the camera-box corresponding tothe handle 37, attached to the crank-shaft 36. (Shown in Figs. l and 3.) This crank shaft operates lthe mirror 25 in the Same manner as does the crank-shaft 36, heretofore referred to, and while the mirror 2,5 is being carried to its upper position in the ceiitral compartment .14 the slotted portion of the .connecting-rod 62 does not act on the el- In fact, the camera will be ex` .ceedingly shallow, the depth being only that IOO bow-pawl 60;` but as soon as the mirror 25 vhas covered the opening 26 at the .top of the compartment 14 the said connecting-rod trips the pawl 60 and releases it from engagement with the ratchet-teetli, the shutter immedi. diately acts, andan exposure is obtained.

I desire it to be understood that any form of lens or shutter may be employed and that any approved mechanism may be used for kcontrolling the reflector 25 and the shutter and for opening the upper and rear boards D and E and locking them. I also. desire it to be lunderstood that a ground glass may be placed inthe cover-board D instead of a` re- -iiector 44 and that a hood may be used in Vconnection with-such glass; but the construction 'shown is that which is preferred.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to securcby Letters Patent-A 1. In' a reflex camera, a camera-box having a lens-opening, a mirror pivoted lat .tlierear IIO thereof, meansfor raising and lowering said s the box above a lens-mirror and at an angle.

mirror, a reflecting-surface on the ycover of thereto, and a second reliecting-slilrface between that of the cover and the lens-mirror and at an angle to both, the sight-opening' vfor the box being at a point between the reiiectors.

2. In a reliex camera, a camera-box having' a lens-opening, a lens-board having swinging' connection with the box and arranged for movement to and 'from the lens-opening, an adjustable mirror at the rear of the lens-opening, a division-board 'for the box, covers movable to and from the division-board, a reflecting-surface on one of the covers, and a reflector on the division-board between the 1ens mirror and the reflector on the cover.

In a reflex camera, a box comprising' a body having a division-board, and covers having' bellows connection with the body, the Said covers being movable to and Yfrom the division-board.

4. ln a reflex camera, a camera-box having a lens-opening, an inclined lens-mirror at the rear olt the lens-opening', a cover for the camera-box, having` a reflecting-surface located at an angle to the lens-mirror, and a second mirror within the box, located between the said reflecting-surface and the lirst-named mirror and at an angle to the reliecting-surlface on the cover when said box is in focusing' position, said box being' provided with a sightopening` directed toward the mirrors and the said reflecting-surface.

5. 1n acamera, a box-bod y, a hing'ed upper, and a hinged rear board, and a bellows connection between the marginal portions oi the boards and the marginal portions oit' the body ol,E the box.

6. In a camera, a box-body having a lensopening' and upper and rear cover-boards having bellows connection with the body, the rear cover-board having an opening therein, and a clamp around the said opening. I 7. ln a reflex camera, a body-section, an npper cover-board and a rear board, the latter being' provided with an opening' for the reception ol a plateholder, bellows connections between the said boards and the portions of the box-body they are adapted to cover, the said boards having also a hing'ed connection with the box-body, a mirror located at the rear ol: the lens-opening ot' the box-body, a mirror within the box-body, and a focusing-surface on the under 'face of the upper cover-board.

S. In a reflex camera, a body-section, an u pper cover-board and a rear board, the latter being' provided with an opening for the reception ot' a plate-holder, bellows connections between the said boards and the portions oi the box-body they are adapted to cover, the said boards having' also a hinged connection with the box-body, a mirror located at the rear ot' the lens-opening' ot' the box-body, a mirror within the box-body, and a `focusing-suriace on the under face of the upper cover-board, means 'for opening the top cover-board, and

devices for holding' the upper cover-board and the rear board in open positions.

9. In cameras, a box-body having a bottom portion at an acute angle to its sides, whereby the said box-body occupies an inclined position when in use.

10. ln cameras, a box-body having its hottom at an acute angle to its sides and back, and a perpendicular front.

11. In reflex cameras, a box-body having its bottom portion at an acute angle to its sides and back, a cover-board hinged to the upper portion of the said body, a rear board hinged to the upper rear portion ot' the said body, bellows connections between the body and the two boards, the said box-body being' provided with a perpendicular `front and a lens-opening therein, a lnirror mounted within the body at the rear oi the lens-opening, a :focusing-sm'- Vface on the under 'face of the upper coverboard, means for holding' the boards in an open position, the upper cover-lmard having a sight-opening' therein, and a mirror having' an inclined position and located between the mirror at the rear oi' the lei'is-olmningand the focusing-surface on the upper cover-board.

12. VIn cameras, a camera-box provided with a lens-openingand a compartmentadjacent to said opening, a lensboard 'forming a door lor the said compartment, the said lens-board, when the box is in use, being' adapted to cover the said lens-opening.

13. In cameras, a box-body provided with a 1ens-opening and a compartmentadjacent to the lens-opening', which compartment has an open front, a lens-board hinged at a side wall of the opening in said compartment, and a lens carried by the said board, adapted to be normally contained within said compartment, the lens-board being' adapted to be carried from the said compartment over to a closed position relative to the lens-o[` eI'1ing, bringing the lens at such time to working position.

M. In cameras, a box-body yu'ovided with a lens-opening and a compartment adjacent to the lens-opening, which compartment has an open front, a lens-board hinged at a side wall of the opening' in said compartment, anda lens carried by said board, adapted to be normally contained within said compartment, the lens-board being' adapted to be carried from the said compartment over to a closed position relative to the lens-opening, ln'ing'ing the lens at such time to working' position, a front cover-board hinged to the liront ot' the said box-body, latches for the said front coverboard, and means Vfor moving the mirror at the lens-opening' to close communicatifrm be tween the said lens-opening and the upper portion of the box-body, as described.

l. ln cameras, a box-body which rests in an inclined position when in use and is provided with an upper cover member and a rear cover member, the said members being' at right angles to each other when opened.

Y 16. 1n a reflex Camarena box comprising a In testimonywhereofhave signed mynarno body having a divislon-board, covers havlng; to thls speclfcation in the presence of lvvo subbellOWs connectlon Wlbh the body and nlovscriblngwitnesses.

able to and from the division-board, a reect- CHARLES A. MULLER. ing-surface on: the inner face of one cover, Witnesses: and shutter mechanism carried by the other J. FRED ACKER,

cover. JNO. M. RITTER. 

